[Kleftiwallah]

But no matter how low we set the heat (electric), it always seems to stick to the bottom of the pan and the dumplings don't have enough heat to really swell up.

I have a cunning plan  !   I have some stainless steel sheet with 1/4" square holes (used as machinery guarding in a previous life).   If I cut a close fitting circle and hold it off the bottom of the pan by short legs (about an inch), this would allow the liquid to boil and not allow the veg to touch the base of the pan and stick.


Your thoughts chaps and chappesses.         Cheers,     Tony.

[Yorkie]

Can you do it in the oven?

[DD.]

Put your hands in your pocket for a crockpot.

[arugula]

Is your cunning design plan for a heat diffuser?




You could buy one?

[Kleftiwallah]

Is your cunning design plan for a heat diffuser?




You could buy one?

There y'go using that  'B' word.  but yes, that looks a bit of what I had in mind.
There is no fun in going ouit and just B.B.B.Buying something when with a little ingenuity. . . .

I've got a crock pot, but I use it for nickel plating in me shed !          Cheers,     Tony.

[arugula]

There y'go using that  'B' word.  but yes, that looks a bit of what I had in mind.
There is no fun in going ouit and just B.B.B.Buying something when with a little ingenuity. . . .

So all you need to do is make a metal sandwich with airholes, just as you proposed.

[DD.]

I've got a crock pot, but I use it for nickel plating in me shed !          Cheers,     Tony.

You don't deserve dumplings, then!

[Lewjam]

Done on the hob there no good any way...

You may as well make a stew and boil some dumplings in gravy!

Get it in the oven, lid off for the last 10 mins to get a nice crisp on the dumplings!

What your doing is heresy in our house!!

(and yes, i have an unusualy close bond with stew and dumpys!)

[mumofstig]

Done on the hob there no good any way...

You may as well make a stew and boil some dumplings in gravy!
Get it in the oven, lid off for the last 10 mins to get a nice crisp on the dumplings!
What your doing is heresy in our house!!
(and yes, i have an unusualy close bond with stew and dumpys!)

Klefti was taliking about a stew in the first post, so don't understand  
and IMO................dumplings shouldn't be crispy  


 

[DD.]

Crunchy dumplings.

Bit of an oxymoron!

[JayG]

Sounds like cobblers to me! 
 
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5533/herby-lamb-cobbler

I cook my traditional beef stew in a pressure cooker, then with the pressure released and gravy thickened and seasoned add the dumplings for the last 20 minutes - nothing sticks (maybe thanks to the thickness of the pressure cooker base.)

[mumofstig]

nothing sticks

except for the extra padding around the middle 

[JayG]

So that's what it is?

(What a relief - thought I might be pregnant!) 

[Lewjam]

Well then hehe

In my family stew and dumplings are always cooked with the lid off. 

Other wise you have soft tender meat, soft tender veg, soft tender mash and soft tender dumplings!

If you take the lid off in the oven, you get lovely soft fluffy dumplings on the inside with a golden crust that gives a bit of texture on the outside!

And i thought the original post was about stew and dumplings on the top of the hob, not just stew - thus my first post suggesting oven cooking for infproved flavour and texture!